Bowling ball



April 3, 1945. G. KEITH BOWLING BALL Filed March 50, 1943 Apr. 3, 194 5This application is a cont a n (if my copending application user No.4 1,73 filed October 12, 1942.

The present invention rel g more particularlyto bowling alls ing tenpins. 2! I Because such balls are'vgene ally be securely grasped in thepalmoi a? S they are provided with tw orfthreeijojpenmg W V I x thethumb and one wqf i h flli hich experience has shown him produce is ofgreat importance wi Play th the; most-1satisfactoryfspacing. In this waya thumb pening particflajr 'i a lyms hi single ball may be used byseveral persons playing me to make good fit Wlth "5 3313: in-vrotation;even thougheach player requires a Skilled players thmk it e -Je s im rant I difrerentfinger spacing-since each can adjust the thanthe fingeropenings make eggactlytheri yi pacingf'jusflp io fq hj i t at rollingthe n fit 7 the fingers is m at by ian'adjustingaoperation requiring noapprecibowhng alleys to provide el b m 119135 ab1e:'efiort. orcareandgno. more than a moment sized thumb openings, from whic'h thehindvidualtoperfonhii 1 r players select those which most ar1y..,cpnformAfurther object t providea ball of the charto their preference. It isseldo'rnthatga'player 20 finds in such necessarily limitedassortment aball having a thumb opening,which exactly, suits o accommodate the handpractically any player. ;provide calibrated indicia pa i g adjustmentmeans so 7 playe has experimentally determined spacing which best suitshim he may very qurckl djus any all -to such spacing by the ttimi; theindicia to those isceasy and'inexpensivetoimake and in which the himsome players find that y opninlgvdfra several-kinds ofxadjust'ment calnbe readilly; set l at very= fine.degrees of;yaluejbyt epayerst emg s ggi j fi i 5 figmes SEIVBS fOlTI-bYsfil'l attendantwithout requiring theg der z g gg g use of; anything hutaauverygsimple tool, such as a ft. 1. spanner wrench. 1 to ne principal object therefore of the' resentadmstableopenmgm whichthe Inner lining i to a which is ad ustable as tsize w thin rather conof-adjustm-ntx W:

siderable limits so that thesize foffthebpeni jg k Y I may readily beregulated to npmpelt 6f dig Other; objects andadvantages of theinvention a, v j' 1 :1 killed in theart from le ert la er or to Us th hn 1 f r- H Wm b P i l o en ce of a gariicular r il aye at p g d the'decnptlonjheremaltpenofia Preferred form of under differentccnditionsijfIn thisyvay the'in m e m v i ventien overcomes one seriousobiiectionto the I theaccompa'nimrgdrawmglhaive1llutrated Ordinarybowling ball '1 QafOIm'Of-COHStIHCtIOD. which-embodies the inven- Afurther Objection to the v m n' yp tive concepts butwhichiisfillustrative merely and bowling ball results from thefactthat'the sep i0 e n e i i ew i s aration or spacing of the several"b seiiihgsrreme i e xce p -HT 1 a hmflfatmns each other is necessarilyfixed ndmon adjust mxtheappended clalms or abla A player Whose hand g fbs are requiredshy;the*stalte of the prior art. fingers are long cannotcomfortably; n ,1 the'dr'awmgf easily hold a ballin which the sp 45"lf'igure' l is 'a p1 a ew "bowling or similar openings is positionedproperIy for'a pIay ba llprovidedwithz three .fingerl openings each ofhand is Small or Whose fin' g e gh ivhichis madeadjustablebyai'construction folactual practice a standardijcompr mise lowin"he-princ'iples of the 'resent invention; has been adopted to accommodateregarded as a hand of averag ze very few players have hands of ave itresults that most players fin ard spacing too wide or too narr A furtherprincipal object o f the tion is therefore to provide' a" ball in t:which the expa d' perspective view of the acter:lndicatedainraz form ofconstruction which small and adapted to be entered by two 2 severalelements which comprise the adjusting assembly.

Referring to th drawing, the reference numeral l designates a bowlingball which may be made of any suitable material, such as the usual hard,dense composition. Three more or less radial and cylindrical .openingsare shown in the figure, the openings l I and I! being comparativelyfingers of the player and the third opening, I 3, being larger andintended to receive the player's thumb. In the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention each of these openings differs from the usualconstruction, in which it is plain and non-adjustable, by being providedwith the novel adjusting device which forms the subject of the presentinvention.

It will of course be understood that while I have shown all threeopenings made adjustable per se and relatively to each other as will beexplained hereinafter, which construction I prefer because it isproductive in full measure of all the benefits of the invention, it isnevertheless possible to achieve some of the important advantages of theinvention by a construction in which one or two of the openings are madeadjustable per se or relatively to the other opening or openings. Suchembodiments of less than all the features shown in the illustrated andpreferred embodiment are deemed to be within the scope of the inventionto the extent that they incorporate-the novel and inventive principlesof the present disclosure and come within the purview of the appendedclaims.

Figure 2 illustrates more in detail the component parts of the adjustingdevice and their assembled relationship to each other. To prepare theball to receive this assembly the ball is first bored to provide anoversize cylindrical opening II. A composite socket member, in the formof an outer thimble or cup l5a, in which is nested an inner thimble orcup lib. is secured in the opening I by a drive, frictional fit or byengagement of threads is formed on the outer cup I51: and tapped in thebore in the ball. If desired or thought necessary, the cup may beadditionally secured in the ball by the use of cement.

In order to permit the outer cup to receive the inner cup, and to permitthe inner cup to receive the elements which it in turn surrounds. eachof the cups is split diametrically into two halves or down one side andthrough its bottom, so that it can be expanded when not confined in theopening ll. The cups are made of metal. plastic or the like, which ispreferably relatively resilient, particularly if each cup is made in onepiece with the split, shown at Ila for the outer cup and at llb for theinner cup, extending across the bottom and down one side only.

The inner and outer cups together constitute a socket member which has acylindrical outerv wall and a cylindrical inner wall or bore. Thissocket member may be made of one piece of material if the finger orthumb opening which it is to provide is to be made adjustable per semerely, that is to say, if such opening is to be made adjustable as todiametric'al size to accommodate fingers or thumbs of different size.The socket member will be made of inner and outer cups, as shown, if thefinger or thumb opening which it is to provide is to be made adjustablerelatively to one or both of the other finger or thumb openings, that isto say, if the spacing of the several openings is to be made adjustable.In the latter case, which constitutes the illustrated and preferredcon-' the sac and engaged therewith.

asvaass struction, the outer cup Ila has a here which is concentric withthe outer cylindrical wall of the cup, while the inner cup ISb has abore which is appreciably eccentric to the outer cylindrical wall of theinner cup and to the bore of the outer cup. These two cups are nested,as shown in Fig. 2, and are held against relative axial movement byinterfitting circular ribs I, which are not spiral or screwthreaded, sothat the inner cup may be rotatedin the outer without axial movement.With the outer cup held fast in the ball opening II by the threads I611and/or cement-as has been explained, rotation of the inner cup willshift or displace the axis of its bore toward or away from the axis ofthe bores of the other opening or openings ll, 12 and ii. In effect,such rotation of any inner cup lib displaces or translates the bore of asocket member toward or away from the other socket member or members andthus adjusts the spacing of the finger and thumb openings.

The socket member, 1. e., the combination of the two cups whether madeintegral or separate, is internally threaded along its upper marginalzone or lip, as shown at it, and an inwardly directed flange I9 slightlyoverhangs this thread. The outer or upper surface of the socket memberis made parti-spherical to conform to the periphery of the ball, so thatwhen the member is seated in the opening ll its upper surface will becontinuous with the curvature of the ball.

Seated in the socket member and surrounded by it is an annularcylindrical sac 20 made of some resilient distensible material, such asrubber or a rubber composition. This sac is preferably hollow and filledwith a fiuid 2| which is preferably a comparatively incompressibleliquid. The sac is seated on the floor of the socket member and extendsto less than the full height of its interior. At its top it isdownwardly and outwardly bevelled to provide a conical surface '22.

An inner liner member 23 is set inside the sac with its outer surfacesurrounded by and engaged with the inner wall of the sac. This liner isyieldable and contractile, and is best made as a metallic or plasticbushing having a pleated or bellows shape as shown in the drawing. Theconstruction and material are such that the liner will respond to radialpressure imposed by the sac in such a way that when the pressure isincreased the diameter of the liner will be reduced, while. the diameterwill be increased by the inherent resilience of its material when radialpressure is reduced.

Inasmuch as the inner surface of this liner is contacted by the player'sthumb or finger when the ball is grasped, the liner is so dimensionedthat its inner diameter makes an opening appropriately sized for a thumbor finger hole. If desired, this surface may be formed by an inner layerof rubber composition or other suitable material 24 shown only in Fig.3, which will make comfortable contact with the thumb or finger. Ifpreferred, the liner 2! may have its inner surface uncovered, as shownin Figs. 2 and 4-, so that the serrations formed by the pleats willconstitute the thumb or finger contact surface.

A plug 25 of generally annular shape has an outer screw thread 26 whichis engaged with the internal thread It of the socket member or inner cupelement thereof and has a lower bevelled surface complementing theconical surface 12 of The assembly is shown in Fig. 2, from which itwill be observed that when the plug is turned down into the socketmember pressure will be exerted on the sac and transmitted therefrom tothe liner, equally along all points on the outer surface of the liner.This pressure results in evenly and equally reducing the diameter of theliner along all levels between its inner and outer ends, so that theliner remains accurately cylindrical while the opening which it providesbecomes reduced. Unscrewing the plug will release pressure on the sacand on the liner, permitting the liner to expand by its inherentresilience. In this way the effective size of the opening ll, l2 or i3is accurately and finely adjusted by turning the plug one way or anotherin the socket member.

The plug may be turned by a spanner wrench or similar tool (not shown)the teeth of which may be engaged with sockets 21 in the upper surfaceof the plug.

Similar sockets 28 may be provided in the upper surface of the inner cupl5b for engagement with a larger spanner wrench or other tool todisplace er translate the bore of the socket member toward or away fromthe other openings.

The plug 25 is retained in the socket member by having its outer marginoverlapped by the flange I 9. A suitable shoulder, complementing thisflange, is formed around the outer edge of the plug.

The liner 23 is retained in the socket. member by having small ears 29stuck out radially from its lower end and overlapped by the bottom ofsuch socket members; and of course three of them provide maximumadjusting range.

As hercinabove stated, it is desirable to have each spacing settingindicated by some means that will permit such setting to be restoredreadily after the spacing has been changed to some other setting/thusmaking it unnecessary for a player who picks up a ball that has beenadjusted to suit someone else to experiment to find the adjustment thathe prefers. Such means is easily provided by scribing an index mark,such as the arrow or pointer 30, on the surface of the ball or the edgeof the outer cup l5a opposite each/ of the adjustable socket members,and by scrib ng cooperating graduations 3| 0n the end or edge of theinner cup l5b. These graduations' 3| are best designated by numerals orletters associated with them (not shown on the drawin because of spacelimitations), so that they/comprise a scale whose setting with referenceto the mark 39 can be read in terms of numerals or letters. A playerwill learn that the setting of the several openings which best suits himis the one obtained when a certain three of the graduations 3| areopposite their respective index marks 30. He will remember these threegraduations by their numerals or Fletters. and a glance at the scaleswhen the ball is picked up will show whether the setting is the the sac,as shown in Fig. 2. Thus it is seen that f the entire assembly ismaintained against separation from the outer cup l5a and from the ballin place in the ball when the outer cup is secured opening H.

It will be observed that the socket member flange I9 makes the diameterof the socket memher opening somewhat smaller at the lip thereof than atthe internally threaded area l8. Since the socket member is preferably cosed at its bottom, it is necessary to insert the plug 25 from-the top.This insertion is easily accomplished if the socket member be expanded,when out of the opening M. by separating its two halves or by temporarly slightly distorting it by opening the split l1. With the socketmember opened no. the liner 23 and sac 20 are dropped in lace and theplug 25 is inserted. The entire assemblvis then secured in the opening.I in the ball. Of course. if the socket member be of the composite.double cup type. which is preferred the assembling operation includesthe additional step of separ ting the halves of the outer cu or exanding the outer cup by o ening up the split Ha therein.

and then inserting the inner cup until the ribs l5 on the two cups areinterfitted.

It will be apparent that very fine, accurate adjustments of fin er orthumb opening size may be made by turning the plu to suit therequirements of an individual player or to suit number of differentplayers. The range of adjustment can be made suflicientlv great toaccommodate a relatively large number of thumb and finger sizes.

It will also be'evident that the eccentr city of the bore of each innercup l5b to the associated outer cup l5a and opening l4 permits thespecing or mutual separation distance of the several openings H. I2 andB to be adjusted by rotating one or another of the inner cups. It willbe found suflicient by some persons to have only one of the openingsprovided with a two-cup adjustable socket member; others will prefertwoapplying pressure to and to expand upon release one desired. Ifit isnot, the change to the required setting can be made immediately.

In the appended claims the term finger" is used generically. Of coursethe opening made adjustable by my invention may be any one or all of thefinger openings provided in the ball. including the opening for theplayers thumb.

It is recognized that the details of the construction may be varied fromthose shown in the illustrated embodiment. 'All such modifications, aslong as they are within the spirit of the invention as pointed out bythe appended claims are to be considered within the scope and purviewthereof.

I claim:

opening, means for adjusting the size of the opening comprising acontractile liner for the opening, a contractile element surrounding theliner, and means for applying pressure to the element to contract theelement against the liner.

2. In a bowling or similar ball having a. finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a liner for the openingwhich is adapted to contract when radially compressed and to expand uponrelease of such pressure, means reacting between the liner and the bodyof the ball to transmit radial pressure to the liner, and means forapplying pressure to the last named means.

3. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a liner for the openingwhich is adapted to contract when radially compressed and to expand uponrelease of such pressure, an annular sac surrounding the liner andoutwardly confined by the body of the ball, and means for the sac fortransmission to the liner to contract the same.

4. In a bowlingor similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a liner for the openingwhich is adapted to contract when radially compressed v of suchpressure, an annular sac containing a relatively incompressible fluidsurrounding the liner and outwardly conflned by the body of the ball,and means for applying pressure to the sac for transmission to the linerto contract the same.

5. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjmting the size of the opening comprising a liner for the openingwhich is adapted to contract when radially compressed andto expand uponrelease of such pressure, a generally cylindrical, annular saccontaining a relatively incompressible fluid surrounding the liner andoutwardly confinedby the body or the ball, and means for applyingpressure to the sac for transmission to the liner to contract the same.

6. In a bowling or similar ballhaving a finger opening, means foradjmting the size of the opening comprising a liner for the openingwhich is adapted to contract when radially compressed and to expand uponrelease of such pressure. means reacting between theliner and the bodyof the ball to transmit radial pressure to the liner, and wedge meansreacting between said means and the body of the ball to exert pressureon said means.

7. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjmtlng the size of the opening comprising a screw-thread at the lip ofthe opening, a contractile liner and a radially contractile elementsurrounding the liner and disposed with the liner in the opening, and anannular plug engaged with said screw-thread and having wedgingengagement with the element for contracting the same.

8. In a bowling or similarball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a screwthread at the lip01' the opening, a contractile liner and a radially contractile elementsurroimding the liner and disposed with the liner in the opening, anannular plug engaged with said screwthread and having wedging engagementwith the element for contracting the same, and a flange at the outer endof the screwthread overlapping the plug to prevent removal oi. theplugirom the opening.

9. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a socket member lining theopening and having its lip portion internally screwthreaded and inwardlyflanged, a radially contractile element seated in the socket member, anannular plug engaged with the thread and retained in place by saidflange, said plug having wedging engagement with the element forcontracting the same, and a contractile liner surrounded by thecontractile element and adapted to be contracted when the plug is turnedinwardly in the socket.

10. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a screwthread at the lip ofthe opening, a contractile liner and a radially contractile elementsurrounding the liner and disposed with the liner in the opening, anannular plug engaged with the thread and overlapping the element to holdthe element in the opening and to exert increasing pressure on theelement as the plug is screwed into the opening, and an ear turned outfrom the liner and underlying the element to hold the liner in theopening.

11.- In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a screw-thread at the lipof the opening, a contractile liner and a radially contractile elementsurrounding the liner and disposed with the liner in the opening, anannular plug engaged with the thread and overlapping the element to holdthe element in the opening and to exert increasing pressure on theelement as the plug is screwed into the opening, means surrounding theplug to prevent its removal from the opening, and an ear turned out fromthe liner and underlying the element to hold the linerinthc opening.

12. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the openin! comprising a socket member lining theopening and having its lip portion internally screwthreaded and inwardlyflanged, a radially contractile element seated in the socket member, anannular plug engaged with the thread and retained in place by saidflange, said plug having V 8 engagement with the element for contractingthe same, a contractile liner surrounded by the contractile element andadapted to be contracted when the plug is turned inwardly in the socket,and an ear turned out from the liner and imderlying the element to holdthe liner in the 13. In a bowling or similar ball having a plurality ofcylindrical finger openings, a contractile liner for, at least one ofthe openings, means for contracting the liner to adjust the eflfectivesize of said opening, and means for rotating the liner contracting meansand the liner to selected adjusted positions in the opening to shift theaxis of the liner toward or away from the axis of another of theopenings.

14. In a bowling or similar ball having a plurality or substantiallyradial finger openings, a socket member for at least one-or saidopenings comprising an outer member fixed in the ball and having acylindrical bore and an inner member nested in the outer member andhaving a bore eccentric to the bore of the outer member and rotatabletherein to shift the axis of the eccentric bore to selected adjustedpositions circumferentially oi the ball toward or away from the axis ofanother of said openings.

15. In a bowling or similar ball having a substantially radial fingeropening, a socket member for said opening comprising an outer memberfixed in the ball and having a cylindrical bore, an inner member nestedin the outer member and having a bore eccentric to the bore of the outermember and rotatable therein to shift the axis of the eccentric bore toany one of a plurality of adjusted positions circumierentially oi theball, and cooperating indicia on the inner member and a fixed portion ofthe structure for indicating the position of the inner member.

16. In a bowling or similar ball having a pinrality of substantiallyradial finger openings, a. socket member for each of :said openingscomprising an outer member fixed in the ball and having a cylindricalbore and an inner member nested in the outer member and havinga boreeccentric to the bore 01 the outer member and rotatable therein to shiftthe axes of the eccentric bores to selected adjusted positionscircumterentially of the ball toward and away from each other.

17. In a bowling or similar ball having a plurality of substantiallyradial and cylindrical finger openings, a cylindrical socket memberfitting at least one or the openings and having a bore eccentric to theopening and mounted for rotation therein to selected adjusted positionsto shift the axis of its bore circumierentially of the ball towardanother one of the openings.

18. In a bowling or similar ball having a substantially radial andcylindrical finger opening.

a cylindrical socket member fitting the opening and disposed forrotation therein and having a bore eccentric to the opening o thatrotation of the socket member will shift the axis of its borecircumferentially of the ball. a contractile liner for said bore adaptedto contract when radially compressed and to expand on release of suchpressure, means reacting between the liner and the socket member totransmit radialpressure to the liner, and means for applying pressure tothe last named means whereby the size of the bore of the liner may beadjusted.

19. In a bowling or similar ball having a substantially radial andcylindrical finger opening. a socket member disposed in said opening andcomprising an outer cup of cylindrical shape fixed in the opening andhaving a concentric bore and an inner cup nested in the outer cup forrotation therein and having an eccentric bore, an annular sac containinga relatively incompressible fluid nested in the inner cup, a linernested in the sac, and an annular plug threaded in the inner cup androtatable for axial movement therein to exert pressure on the sac andthereby contract the liner to adjust the diametrical size thereof,whereby rotation of the inner cup relatively to the outer cup will shiftthe common axis of the eccentric bore, the sac, the liner and the plugcircumferentially of the ball.

20. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a yieldable lining wall, achamber containing a fluid disposed outwardly of said wall, and meansfor applying pressure to said fluid to move the lining wall and therebyvary the size of the opening.

21. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a resilient, stretchablelining wall, a body of fluid confined behind said wall, and means forapplying adjustable pressure to said fluid to vary the pressure appliedby said fluid to the wall and thereby stretch the wall to adjust thesize of the opening.

22. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising an elastic lining wall,means confining a body of fluid behind said wall, and means foradjustably applying pressure to said fluid to transmit said pressure tothe fiuid and move the wall to vary the size of the opening.

23. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening. means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising a substantially cylindricalelastic lining wall, a chamber surrounding said wall containing a bodyof fluid, and means for adjustably applying pressure to said fluid toreact radially against said wall and move the same to vary the side ofsaid opening.

24. In a bowling or similar ball having a finger opening, means foradjusting the size of the opening comprising an insert lining theopening having spaced substantially concentric walls including anelastic inner wall defining a substantially cylindrical bore, a body offluid confined in the space between said walls, and means for adlustablyvarying the pressure on said fluid to move said inner wall radially forvarying the size of said bore.

GLENN KEITH.

